Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

The 3rd Battalion of the 645th Regiment found the Japanese supply camp, which was hidden in a warehouse in a factory building. The warehouse was filled with wooden crates of shells and bullets, boxes of canned beef, bags of milk powder, rice, and a large amount of medicine. All kinds of supplies filled the warehouse.

Not to mention the battalion commander, even the worldly-wise Li Xikai was stunned, then overjoyed:

"These all belong to our Tiger Legion. Move them all!"

"Send someone to inform the Second Battalion and the First Battalion that they must stay on guard until dawn."

Contact the 650th Regiment and ask them to come and help move the spoils of war. Quickly build a pontoon bridge over the river to facilitate the transport of supplies.

"Move the captured cannons and mules across the stone arch bridge to the north, quick!"

As orders were issued, the 645th and 650th Regiments on the left flanks worked to transfer the spoils of war, while the 646th Regiment on the right flank kept watch on the Japanese troops to prevent the 16th Division from the south from coming to reinforce them.

At six o'clock in the morning, Zhao Yunwen, who had just slept for a while, was woken up. Xie Polu said with a smile:

"Commander, the counterattack of the 323rd Division has achieved remarkable results, defeating the main force of the Sakamoto Brigade, killing more than 1,200 Japanese soldiers, and capturing 17 artillery pieces of various sizes and more than 900 rifles."

The 645th Regiment intercepted the Sakamoto Brigade's supply depot, capturing over ten thousand artillery shells, more than three thousand boxes of ammunition, over five hundred mules and horses, two hundred warhorses, and a large quantity of grain and supplies piled up like mountains!

Zhao Yunwen did not expect such a great victory. These Japanese weapons and ammunition were very important to the Tiger Army, especially the tens of thousands of artillery shells, which were enough for each division to use for a period of time.

The Tiger Legion's artillery was mostly captured, and they also had three Japanese-equipped regiments, so they had a great need for Japanese-made ammunition, the more the better.

Zhao Yunwen's spirits lifted, and he said with a smile:

"Excellent! Itagaki Seishiro truly lives up to his reputation as the transport captain; the supplies for the next two weeks are secured!"

Xie Polu continued, saying:

"Commander, after this battle, the 5th Division should be quiet for a couple of days, and the 16th Division won't dare to start a war without authorization. The Jinshui River defense line is secure!"

The battle situation shifted in their favor, and the atmosphere in the command post became unusually relaxed. Zhao Yunwen, however, remained optimistic and said seriously:

"This does not change the overall situation of the enemy being strong and us being weak. The Fifth Division only lost a thousand men, and was not seriously injured."

The Japanese army's established strategy was to capture Zheng County, open up the Pinghan Railway, and then move south to attack Jiangcheng; they would not give up on this.

Once the lost supplies are replenished, the 5th Division will likely return, and may even reinforce its troops.

Lu Ping, Xie Polu, and others strongly agreed, saying that while it's good to be happy after a victory, one should not become arrogant.

Lupin interjected:

"This battle can buy the Jinshui River defense line a two to three-day buffer period. We should still be prepared to fight street battles in the city."

This lull was invaluable for the 324th Division's preparations. While the Japanese were still gathering supplies, each division had to seize the opportunity to prepare for battle and await the next engagement.

Seeing that the core team was of one mind and had not underestimated their opponent, Zhao Yunwen was very pleased and continued:

"Do as Deputy Commander Lu said. The 323rd Division should hurry up and restore the positions destroyed by the Japanese, and hold out for two more days after the Japanese counterattack."

The 322nd Division must hold off the 16th Division on the southern front to ensure the safety of the flanks of the Jinshui River and the city.

The 324th Division was fully prepared for urban warfare. The 323rd Division was given priority to replenish captured supplies; any surplus was later sent into the city and handed over to the 324th Division. The 322nd Division was replenished by the army headquarters' supply regiment.

At the Fifth Division headquarters, Itagaki Seishiro berated Sakamoto Jun mercilessly. The latter, knowing he was in the wrong, lowered his head and remained silent.

Chief of Staff Takeshi Sakurada came to his rescue, saying:

"Your Excellency, the biggest loss this time was in supplies; the total number of troops was only about a thousand."

The Chinese casualties were also considerable, at best a draw. As long as supplies are replenished, the Itagaki Division can easily defeat the Tiger Army.

Major General Kunisaki Noboru then chimed in:

"Sakurada-kun is right. The Itagaki Division is backed by a powerful empire, so this loss of supplies is nothing. They can replenish their supplies in two days at most."

In contrast, the Tiger Legion was fighting alone, without reinforcements or supplies from the rear. They couldn't withstand the attrition and would only grow weaker with each battle.

Itagaki Seishiro's expression softened somewhat, and he said in a deep voice:

"I have applied to His Excellency Terauchi for tactical guidance. A batch of supplies and artillery will be transported from Pengcheng in two days, along with 5,000 additional troops from Hiroshima."

His Excellency Terauchi has only one request: Zheng County must be captured. The supplies originally intended for the 10th and 14th Divisions will be prioritized for us.

Over the next two days, each regiment will take the opportunity to rest and reorganize. Once supplies and personnel arrive, they will launch a full-scale attack on the Tiger Legion's defenses and annihilate the entire Tiger Legion!

All the Japanese soldiers stood up in unison and shouted slogans, their confidence restored.

In Jiangcheng, in the Military Commission's operations room, battle reports from the front came in like snowflakes, but Chiang Kai-shek's focus was still on the Zheng County front.

After finishing breakfast, I arrived at the command room early and casually asked:

"Any new information from the Tiger Legion?"

Deputy Chief of Staff Bai Jiansheng quickly replied:

"I just received a call from General Zhao. The 5th Division launched a night attack on the northern front, but was thwarted by the 323rd Division. They then pushed back and routed the main force of the Sakamoto Brigade, forcing the Itagaki Division headquarters to retreat more than ten miles. They annihilated more than 1,200 enemy soldiers and captured a large amount of supplies."

Chiang Kai-shek was surprised to receive such good news so early in the morning; he smiled so broadly that his dentures were showing, and exclaimed:

"Yunwen is indeed my good student, and Yu'an has also shown the spirit of my Whampoa Military Academy students. Very good, very good!"

Who says people from Zhejiang Province aren't good at fighting? I won't be modest this time. Yunwen, Yu'an, Shoushan, Liangzhen—they've produced a multitude of great generals!

Bai Jiansheng opened his mouth, but still couldn't find the words to refute it; Chang Kaishen now had the capital to be arrogant.

Yu Liangzhen's 74th Army fought very well. Although Hu Shoushan's abilities were mediocre, Zhao Yunwen was too outstanding, and the big shots of the Guangxi Army were overshadowed.

Chen Cixiu seized the opportunity to say:

"Yunwen has always been the pride of my Whampoa students. The Tiger Army stood alone, not only withstanding the onslaught of the Itagaki Division and the Nakajima Division, but also launching many counterattacks with brilliant results."

He still has the title of "actor" above his head; I suggest it be removed to boost morale and stabilize the troops.

Others echoed his sentiments. Zhao Yunwen and the Tiger Army were at the height of their power, and the Military Commission needed them to tie down the main Japanese forces in Zheng County for a period of time. Only a fool would stand up and oppose them.

Although Chiang Kai-shek was furious about the outrageous things Zhao Yunwen had done at Huayuankou, his anger had long since subsided since Zhao hadn't crossed his bottom line.

The Tiger Legion's tenacious defense of Zheng County had made up for the previous setbacks, and he was now in need of manpower, so he readily agreed.

"Alright, officially promote Zhao Yunwen to Lieutenant General of the Tiger Army. I hope he will live up to my expectations and hold Zheng County for another ten days. I will grant him the authority to exercise his powers as he sees fit."

Everyone praised the commander's wisdom, and Chiang Kai-shek's smile widened.

In his view, Zhao Yunwen was a capable person. Since ancient times, talented people have always had their own personalities. Zhao Yunwen was a native of Zhejiang Province, so he should be treated well and his "thorns" should be tolerated. This is the magnanimity of a leader.

"Yunwen, I am still tolerant. I hope that you and I can write a story of a master and disciple that will be praised by future generations."

At the headquarters of the Tiger Legion, Zhao Yunwen sneezed several times for no apparent reason. He wondered who was thinking about him again and muttered to himself:

"Who the hell is plotting against me again!"

Zhao Yunwen cautiously ran the mini-map but found nothing unusual. The Fifth Division had been quiet for the past two days since it was attacked, except for the continuous transfer of supplies from Pengcheng.

The reconnaissance regiment harassed the area along the way, destroying a batch of supplies, which forced the 10th Division to send a large number of troops to clear out the rear, and the reconnaissance regiment then went into hiding.

Xie Polu rushed over excitedly to report:

"Commander, good news! The Military Commission has called and removed the title of 'Acting' from your head."

Zhao Yunwen suddenly realized that it was the principal who was thinking about him. This was a good thing, but he didn't care.

The Tiger Legion has now formed its own system, and like Hu Shoushan and others, it is a military leader under the Whampoa Military Academy. As long as he doesn't break any rules, no one can touch him, and he has the ability to protect himself.

After reading it, Zhao Yunwen casually handed it back to Xie Polu, his expression not changing much, and said casually:

"Send a telegram to Commander Qiu, instructing him to prepare to abandon the Jinshui defense line. As soon as the Fifth Division commits its main force to the offensive, they should clear the main road and move south."

The main force established defenses in tiers south of Zheng County. The city could be ceded to the Japanese in the future, but the Pinghan Railway had to be held for a long time, forcing the main Japanese force to advance towards the Huai River.

Before the urban street fighting even began, Zhao Yunwen was already planning the next phase of the operation, and his strategy happened to coincide with that of another timeline.

The difference lies in the fact that one relied on water as a weapon, while the other relied on tenacious defense. Despite the different paths, the Battle of Jiangcheng returned to its original course, which allowed Zhao Yunwen to foresee the outcome.